Ichiban no Takaramono (My Most Precious Treasure)
by Ryuuko Izawa
Summary: 'A Sakura who has no confidence in herself, calling herself pathetic, yeah there might be someone like that in the world, but it's not my Sakura. So smile Sakura, for me. Whatever happens, smile.' She must smile, for the man she loves and for her child. She must smile because she has a promise to fulfill. She must smile for her most precious treasure, her "Ichiban no Takaramono".


_Hey there! Um... About the Naruto Junior High, I've deleted it for now but I will continue it sometime in the near future. So for now, please read and enjoy this story. It is based on the song Ichiban no Takaramono or My most precious treasure Yui ver. from the anime Angel Beats. Enjoy!  
Just for the record, I do NOT own Naruto, Angel Beats or Ichiban no Takaramono_

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**Ichiban no Takaramono (My most precious treasure)**

'NARUTO!', the blond kitsune heard a yell before a fist painfully came in contact with his head. 'Are you an idiot?! You could have died you know!'

'But I did not, did I? Besides, if I had not charged in like that, Sakura-chan might've been the one who was injured', Naruto said. Then his face turned serious, 'I wouldn't let anyone hurt you, Sakura-chan.'

Sakura's eyes widened at that and then softened. She leaned in to hug Naruto. Then she whispers in his ears the words 'Thank you.'

This time it was Naruto's turn to widen his eyes. He then closed them and hugged Sakura back. Then he softly whispered 'You're welcome' in Sakura's ears, so soft that she almost did not hear it.

* * *

'You really are an idiot, aren't you?', Sakura said as Naruto showed up at her house covered in injuries.

'Sorry Sakura-chan, I got a little carried away you see', Naruto replied, grinning.

'Honestly! You are probably the only one who comes back from training looking like you just returned from a war!', Sakura said angrily. Then she smiled, 'But you are the one who taught me not to give up. So, I really respect this fighting spirit you have in yourself.'

'That's not true! Sakura-chan's the one who taught me not to fight for myself but for others! Even for the people who hate me! Like the villagers. So, thank you.'

* * *

Sakura stared at the grave in front of her. The words 'Naruto Uzumaki' were etched on it.

He had done it. He brought Sasuke back to the village. However, before that happened, Sakura realized that she was hopelessly in love with Naruto. When she confessed, Naruto was over the moon with happiness. He gladly accepted. A few years later they got married and Naruto finally became Hokage. But when he found out Sasuke was near the village, he had to go get him back. He did. However, he was badly hurt. Sasuke made it, but not Naruto. Sakura was heartbroken. She wanted to kill herself. The only thing that kept her going was the life within her. She was pregnant. Before Naruto died, when he was still alive and well as Hokage, they had decided that they would name the child Minato if it were a boy and Kushina if it were a girl. They decided these names to pay their respects to Naruto's late parents.

'Naruto', Sakura whispered, 'Even though you are not here with me anymore, even though I'm all alone in the world, I promise I'll make sure that our unborn child will never _ever_ regret being born. I'll make its life a happy one. So you better not worry and just rest in peace, 'Kay?' She gave a bitter smile to the grave then she broke down and started crying.

A month later their child was born. It was a girl.

* * *

'Mama, why don't I have a daddy?', five year old Uzumaki Kushina asked her mother. She had inherited the hair, eyes and intelligence of her mother but her face and personality was similar to her father. Just like her father asked the Third Hokage about his parents, she also had a habit of asking Sakura about Naruto.

'Your father has gone to a place he didn't want to go but had no choice _but_ go. He can never come back from that place', Sakura explained to her daughter.

They were at a lake in a small clearing in the forest. Naruto often took Sakura to this lake during the summers. They used to play in the cool water to their hearts content. Thinking about those days always brought tears to Sakura's eyes. However, she always held it in for Kushina's sake. She did not want to worry her.

However, this time Kushina noticed the pain on her mother's face.

'He's dead, isn't he, mama?'

Sakura's eyes widened at her words. She knew all along. Kushina knew all along. All she needed was a confirmation. This time she did not hold back. She let her tears flow freely for the first time in five years.

* * *

'Bye mom. I'll see you later', Kushina said, giving her mother a light peck on the cheek.

'Bye sweetie', Sakura said with no emotion on her face. After the incident that occurred 3 years ago, Sakura had almost stopped smiling entirely. Sometimes she gave a forced smile to Kushina but even that has more or less stopped. Kushina was desperate to make her mother smile, so, she decided to become a kunoichi as well. She had developed a habit of kissing her mother on the cheek before she left for the academy. And that's where she was heading now.

After her daughter left, Sakura got up intending to get ready since she wanted to visit her husband's grave.

She stood in front of the grave, a place she did not visit since the day of the burial. She was afraid that coming here would stir up too many memories. And it did.

_ 'Naruto', Sakura whispered, 'Even though you are not here with me anymore, even though I'm all alone in the world, I promise I'll make sure that our unborn child will never _ever_ regret being born. I'll make its life a happy one.' _

'That's right', Sakura said to herself. 'I promised Naruto that both for him and Kushina, I'm going to make Kushina's life a happy one.'

She wiped away whatever tears may have been present in her eyes and gave a bright smile.

That night, Kushina was overjoyed. Her mother had finally smiled a real smile.

* * *

'Sakura?'

Said girl looked up to see her best friend Ino. Now that her bangs were no longer covering her eyes, the people around her saw the deadest looking eyes they had ever seen.

'I want to be in there. I want to help her', Sakura muttered.

'I know you do Sakura. But you are sentimentally attached to her. If you are in there as well, you might break down and make and cry and make a mistake', Ino said.

'Damn it! Why did this have to happen?!', Sakura yelled. A few days ago 14 year old Kushina and her team had gone on a mission. However they happened to meet a band of highly skilled rogue ninja. In an attempt to protect her team mates, Kushina herself got badly wounded. She was currently going through a major operation that would decide life of death for her. And Sakura could not do anything.

'The only reason I became a medic was so that I could help heal the injuries of my friends. And now, now that my own daughter is behind those doors, fighting for her life, I cannot do a thing. I-I'm pathetic.'

'That's not true Sakura-san! I'm sure Naruto-kun would have been very angry to hear you say that!'

'H-Hinata?'

Hinata smiled. 'Even if Kushina-chan does not survive this operation, I'm sure she would not like it if her mother were to cry and call herself pathetic. So, stop it', She said hugging Sakura.

_'A Sakura who has no confidence in herself, calling herself pathetic, yeah there might be someone like that in the world, but it's not my Sakura. So smile Sakura, for me. Whatever happens, smile.'_

**_'Naruto?'  
_**The doors of the operating room opened and Tsunade came out. Sakura, Ino and Hinata looked expectantly at Tsunade but all she did was shake her head. That was it for Sakura. She dropped down to the floor and began crying. She was trying her best to smile at the same time.  
**_'I must smile… For them.' _**

* * *

Four years had passed since the death of Uzumaki Kushina II. Everyone had expected Sakura to never recover from the trauma of losing the two most precious people in her life. However, things don't always turn out the way people expect it to.  
The day after the burial, Sakura had moved back to her parents' house. She was actually surprised to see that there were none of her belongings in that room. When someone asked her about Naruto or Kushina, she responded that she did not know who they were.  
Her psychologist stated that her brain functioned in a way that caused her to forget the very people whose deaths caused her emotional pain. However, Sakura had also told her that the names Naruto and Kushina seemed to cause her a lot of pain and at times, when she slept, she dreamt about a handsome young man and a girl in her teens. They looked a lot alike and they always seemed to be grinning foxy grins.  
Time passed by, people began to forget the incident involving the young Uzumaki Kushina II, her team mates grew to become one of the best in the village, the wounds Kushina's death left on their heart slowly began to heal, though they knew that they would never truly be able to forget her. Sakura on the other hand did not remember her husband and daughter at all, but she never forgot the laughter of the two people she held closest to her heart. She held on to it, it became her most precious treasure.

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_I was crying by the time I ended writing this. It was too sad. T.T. Well, please review and tell me how can I improve.  
Thank You for reading_


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